Eve: The First Dressmaker

Adam, our great father and head, the lord of the world, was a tailor by trade. Adam and Eve “sewed fig leaves together, and made them aprons.” That is the first we ever heard of tailors, and I do not see that—without intending to be personal &—; anyone need be ashamed to be called a tailor, nor any young lady need be ashamed to be a seamstress, for her mother Eve, it seems, handled a needle with some skill.

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— President Andrew Johnson

So, move over Coco Chanel, Diane Von Furstenburg- Eve was the first dressmaker. I have not seen the latest fig leaf fashion dress, but Adam and Eve must have looked interesting sewing their first outfits- the first time humans would have needed such a thing.

Picking up from last week, after Adam and Eve let sin into the world, they felt shame and they were in a panic to cover themselves. When they sinned their eyes were opened and they felt shame, they felt regret for what they had done, so they felt they had to make something to cover themselves from the one who created them to know no shame.

But their fig outfits were not enough. They still felt shame and hid among the trees. But, God could still see them through the trees. As you and I know, we cannot hide our sin from God. We’ll never prosper trying to do so (Proverbs 28:13). But what did God do, when he saw their human-made fig leaf outfits, He rejected them. Why? Because their outfits were made with human hands. So God, the chief Dressmaker, made Adam and Eve outfits from animal skins with His own hands (Genesis 3:21).

Animal skins represent sacrifice. Animals have to be killed for human to have clothes. Sure, today there are man-made faux clothing, but we still have expensive clothing that comes from animals. But there’s deep prophetic symbolism here. God’s designed animal skinned outfits for Eve and her husband were a foreshadowing to Calvary. It foreshadowed Jesus’ own sacrifice of Himself, providing a spotless robe of righteousness for all who choose to accept the free gift.

So this unique woman, Eve, a dressmaker not only made her first dress. She, for a second time received divine revelation about Jesus.